The profiling buoys collect data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and turbidity from near the bottom to within 1 meter of the surface at 1-meter depth intervals. The number of profiles per day depends on the solar panel output – generally between 3 profiles per day in winter to 6 profiles per day in summer. The inactive buoys conducted profile sampling 4 times per day throughout the year. The active sites also support meteorological stations, which currently report hourly average air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and total solar radiation. Further details regarding the equipment and specifications of the active buoy stations can be found by selecting the Buoy Specifications link. Definitions of common lake water quality terms found on this site can be found on the Lakes Glossary page.